VP, Academic Leadership Engagement

Vice President, Academic Leadership Engagement

About the Team  

The Learning and Assessment Division is a multidisciplinary group of experts who generate the evidence that drives and describes College Board’s impact. We make sure our assessments measure what matters most for college and career readiness. We use what we learn from them to ensure our actions and programs clear a path for all students to own their future.  

About the Opportunity   

The VP, Academic Leadership Engagement will lead College Board’s national engagement with district senior instructional leaders, particularly district-level Chief Academic Officers (CAOs). This role anchors a new strategic effort to position College Board as a trusted partner to district leaders on high school coursework, instruction, assessment, career readiness and the implications of generative AI.  

This leader will bring deep credibility as a former district Chief Academic Officer or equivalent senior academic leader and will translate that experience into a coherent national strategy that leverages College Board data and research to design and facilitate training, convenings, and tools. The VP will serve as the public face of this work while ensuring tight integration with College Board’s Learning & Assessment, program and field-facing teams. 

In this role, you will:  

Strategy & Vision (40%) 

• Own and refine College Board’s strategy for engaging chief academic officers and other senior academic leaders, including a clear value proposition for districts around data-driven coursework, instruction, assessment, and GenAI. 

• Ensure alignment with College Board’s five-year agenda, Learning & Assessment strategy, and annual goals set by program and field-facing divisions. 

• Partner closely with the School and District Partnerships Division, who own state and district relationships, to inform and shape CAO engagement strategies and resources. 

• Build and manage strategic academic and instructional partnerships and relationships with external organizations (e.g., district support orgs, coalition and advocacy organizations, foundations. 

Field Leadership & External Credibility (40%) 

• Serve as a national thought partner to CAOs, Chief School Officers, and senior instructional leaders. 

• Lead high-level convenings, councils, and cohorts of CAOs, including in-person and virtual engagements. 

• Oversee the design and delivery of CAO-focused trainings, convenings, and tools, ensuring they are practical, rigorous, and grounded in evidence. 

• Guide the development of district-facing research briefs and resources in partnership with Learning and Assessment’s Research Department. 

• Represent College Board externally through partnerships, conferences, and selective publications or thought pieces connected to CAOs and senior instructional leaders. 

Team Leadership, Partnerships & Internal Integration (20%) 

• Directly manage the Senior Director, Evidence-based Learning and Leadership. 

• Set clear vision and goals, success metrics, and growth plans for the Evidence-based Learning and Leadership Team. 

• Provide coaching and support to ensure team members meet and exceed goals, remain engaged, and contribute meaningfully to our mission. 

• Cultivate an inclusive and high-achieving culture that enables all team members to live out College Board’s Operating Principles effectively.  

• Bring proven leadership experience and consistently embody College Board’s Manager Expectations in your work. 

About You  

 To qualify for this role, you must have:  

• Former district Chief Academic Officer or equivalent senior instructional leader. 

• Deep understanding of high school instruction, coursework, assessment, and district governance. 

• Demonstrated credibility with peers in the K12 field. 

• Strong skills in adult learning, training design, and applied use of instructional data. 

• Ability to operate at both strategic and practical levels. 

• Comfort leading in ambiguous, fast-moving contexts (including GenAI). 

• Excellent facilitation, communication, and relationship-building skills. 

Exceptional candidates can effectively speak to:  

• Evidence, levers, and strategic approaches districts use to improve high school instruction, coursework, and student outcomes—across diverse district contexts. 

• Expertise in system-level instructional leadership with at least 8 years in senior instructional or academic leadership roles (e.g., district CAO, deputy CAO, chief of teaching and learning), and responsibility for system-level strategy and decision-making. 

• Proven ability to translate evidence and data into clear academic priorities, guidance, and tools that support leaders and educators in improving teaching and learning at scale. 

• A strategic and inclusive leadership style: you set clear priorities, build effective team structures, plan for future needs, and foster a culture of belonging. 

• A proven ability to drive performance and growth: you set high expectations, deliver real-time, evidence-based feedback, and coach team members to take smart risks, stretch their skills, and achieve meaningful impact. 

• Demonstrated strength in areas such as instructional design for adults, assessment literacy, applied use of data, facilitation of senior leaders, and clear, persuasive writing. 

• The ability to travel 5-10 times a year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business. 

All roles at College Board require: 

• A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work 

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort with learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.  

• Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal 

• A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely, respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input. 

• A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking. 

• A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success 

• Authorization to work in the United States 

About Our Process   

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days. 

• While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.    

What We Offer 

At College Board, we offer more than a paycheck- we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive. We’re a self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market. 

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation 

• The hiring range for this role is $275,000 - $310,000.  

• Your exact salary will depend on your experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board. 

• We aim to make our best offer upfront, rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data. 

• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live. 

You’ll have open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and what it’s like to work at College Board throughout your hiring process. Check out our careers page for more.